tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463Wed, 21 Feb 2018 22:11:36 +0000JudaismhistorybooksChristianityreligionHaredimpoliticsAspergerIsraelLibertarianismSocietyliberalismwomenGodbibleFantasyIslamreviewOhio StateHomosexualityMiddle-AgesMoviesMaimonidesEnglandCatholicismNaziscienceJesus of NazarethC. S. LewisHarry PotterEducationMessiahevolutionatheismwarModern OrthodoxSpainTelevisionEnlightenmentGermanylaw112philosophytoleranceHumorsci-fiAsaelEarly ModernKabbalahColumbus OHConservatismProtestantismholocaustFrance111LutherMagicOrson Scott CardTwilightwhigBlackInquisitionIsaac AbarbanelObamaSabbatai SevieconomicsfeminismsexAugustineJ. K. RowlingMormonsYeshiva UniversityracismPalestiniansRichard DawkinsStephenie MeyerTalmudgedolimCommunismKalman YitzchokLord of the RingsPlatoconstitutionvampiresAristotleGershom ScholemJ. R. R. TolkienJohn CalvinsportsAntinomianismJ. S. MillMatt GoldishNew TestamentRussiaThomas HobbesAJSChristmasDisabilityJohn LockeKantRomeTerrorismabortionAyn RandChabadEnderGeorge W. BushHitlerMonty PythonThomas Aquinascivil rightsFireflyHebrew AcademyLos AngelesLouis FeldmanNarniaRepublicanZionismanti-Semitismslavery24HeresyIraqKupat Ha'irRodney StarkSinSpinozaStar WarsdissertationmusicalsAvigdor MillerFriedrich HayekIsaac LuriaJapanKuzariMoshe IdelProtocolsRousseauSamson Raphael HirschScott LivelyWorld War IIZoharAlan BrillChronicles of Thomas Covenant the UnbelieverDeborah LipstadtEgyptGiordano BrunoHasidismHaym SoloveitchikIMCInternetMilton FriedmanNorman DaviesOxfordPZ MyersPatrick RothfussShakespeareSlifkinTorah VodaathTrinityUtilitarianismWikipediaheliocentrismhistorical fictionAbraham Isaac KookAdam SmithAnn CoulterChinaDemocratGalileoGreeceHitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyJ. B. SoloveitchikJohn McCainJonathan RosenblumMarc AngelMidrashNapoleonNorman CohnRenaissanceRobert DavisSilverspring MDTheaterVoltaireWorld Congress of Jewish StudiesYakov HorowitzYosef Yerushalmidepressionmediamoralitypost modernismAbraham HeschelAri Ne'emanBenzion NetanyahuCaroline BynumCatherine of SienaCivil WarDaniel FrankDatingDavid BrooksDonald TrumpDovid LandesmanEdward GibbonEli BermanElisheva CarlebachEucharistFootballGeorge B. ShawGuide to the PerplexedHis Dark MaterialsIrelandIsaac AsimovItalyJoss WhedonLeon ModenaLostMichiganNietzschePolandPurdueRobert A. HeinleinRobert BonfilRobert HarrisSalo W. BaronShmuel KamenetskyTempleTeresa de AvilaThomas JeffersonbigotrygovernmentAlfie KohnAllan BloomAmos FunkensteinBart EhrmanBill ClintonBridget of SwedenCopernicusDaniel HobbinsDavid FriedmanDavid NirenbergDavid ReubeniDutch RepublicFrank SchaefferG. K. ChestertonHayyim VitalHegelHildegard of BingenIranIsaac NewtonJacob KatzJeremy CohenJoachim of FioreJonathan SacksKaraitesLibba BrayMarc SapersteinMartyrdomMarxMcKeesport PAMichael OrenMoses MendelssohnMysticismNeil GaimanPaulPortugalSaadiah GaonScrewtape LettersShalom CarmyStephen DonaldsonSteven FineThomas FriedmanYitzchak Baerdocumentaryhealth carepsychologysupreme courtAmy ChuaAustriaAutism SpeaksBrandon SandersonCharles DickensChaucerConversosDarwinDavid RudermanDouglas AdamsFrances YatesFreudGemma DoyleGeorge R. R. MartinGershon CohenGoetheGuillermo del ToroHellboyHenry VIIIHillaryHostIsrael YuvalJacob BurckhardtJames MaxeyJosephusKeith ThomasLawrence FineLeo StraussLeon FestingerMattisyahu SalomonMorton SmithMurray RothbardNachmonidesNatalie Zemon DavisOccam's RazorPacifismPeruPittsburgh PAPurimR. I. MooreRashiRedwallReturn of Martin GuerreRichard PopkinRosalynn VoadenRudolph BellSarah PalinSoccerStalinStanley FishSweeney ToddTerry EagletonTill We Have FacesToldot YeshuWest GeorgiaYaacov DeutschYatedYosef BlaumulticulturalismsecularismACLUAbhorsenAgoraAharon LichtensteinAlan DershowitzAlexander AltmannAlexis de TocquevilleAlice in WonderlandAmsterdamAngela of FolignoAnimeAnn RandAnselmAstrologyBattlestar GalacticaBen ShapiroBerel WeinBlue JacketsBrave New WorldBuddhismChristine GarwoodCirque de SoleilCrescasDan BrownDaniel LaskerDavid BergerDavid CressyDavid HumeDavid KatzDay of EmpireDennis PragerDescartesDisneylandDraculaDuneElisabeth of HungaryEoin ColferEphraim KanarfogelEric LaweeExpelledFantasticksFaustFirst AmendmentFrank DonoghueGarth NixGavin LangmuirGeorge WillGiles of RomeGreat DivorceGregory IXHamasHannah ArendtHans KungHarris LenowitzHava Tirosh-SamuelsonHenry KamenIHSIbn DaudIndustrial RevolutionIsaac AramaIsaiah BerlinJames M. BuchananJean GersonJohn ChrysostomJohn CleeseJohn CoakleyJohn of the CrossJonathan HaidtJoshua TrachtenbergJoyce ColemanJudah ha-LeviKenneth MillerKochKosherMachiavelliMagic FluteMalcolm GladwellMargery KempeMary of OigenesMausMax WeberMechthild of MagdeburgMel BrooksMenachem KellnerMiriam BodianMoon is a Harsh MistressMozartNancy MacLeanNeal StephensonNorman RothPan's LabyrinthPassoverPawel MaciejkoPeter JacksonPhilip PullmanPhiloPhyllis MackPico della MirandolaPittsburgh PenguinsQuakersRapeRichard KaganRobert ChazanRoss DouthatRubashkinScotlandSex and the CitySolomon MaimonStephen KernStuart ClarkThomas KuhnTim BurtonTom ClancyUmberto EcoYosef Eisenintelligent designjudgesmusicoperaprayersexismAbraham YagelAdam CohenAdam FerzigerAharon FeldmanAlan SokalAlboAldous HuxleyAlexander DumasAlexander JoskowiczAlexandra CuffelAllan NadlerAmerican CarolAnimal FarmArtArturo Perez-ReverteAverroesAzariah de RossiBabyBarry GoldwaterBelgiumBen SteinBen-Zion Hai UzielBenjamin NetanyahuBernard CornwellBernard LewisBill CosbyBrazilCNNCalvin and HobbesCaptain AlatristeCarlo GinzburgCecil RothChaviva LevinChina MievilleChristian von DohmChristine of StommelnChristopher ColumbusChristopher HillCixin LiuCloud of UnknowingCyrano de BergeracDan SimmonsDaniel SuarezDavid JohnsonDavid NietoDavid ibn YahyaDemosthenesDoctor WhoDon QuixoteDown syndromeDr. HorribleDr. StrangeloveDyan ElliottEdmund BurkeEdward MuirEdward SaidEifelheimEitan FishbaneElizabeth EisensteinEmile DurkheimEnvironmentEphraim ShohamEphraim UrbachEquusEragonEtta IsraelFarsideFlora CassenFour LovesFrancesca BregoliFrancis CollinsFrancois GuesnetFrankismFree SpeechGarrison KeillorGlobal WarmingGod's Words Women's VoicesGood OmensGregory MaguireGrief ObservedGuido KischH. P. LovecraftHartley LachterHayden WhiteHebrewHeinrch GraetzHerodotusHinduHoly Feast and Holy FastHomerHoward SacharIllegal ImmigrationInuYashaJ. H. ChajesJ. L. MackieJacob FrankJacques DerridaJenny McCarthyJerry SeinfeldJim DaleJoan of ArcJobJoe BidenJohannes ReuchlinJohn Henry NewmanJohn Maddox RobertsJohn Maynard KeynesJohn ScalziJon StewartJonathan StrangeJordanJoseph CaroJoseph LiebermanJudah Messer LeonKaiser Wilhelm IIKaren ArmstrongKeys to the KingdomKierkegaardKolkoKoreaLakewoodLaruo MartinesLaurie NussdorferLawrence SchiffmanLemony SnicketLeon UrisLes MiserablesLevinasLloyd AlexanderLouis XIVLyndon LaRoucheMabinogionMacGyverMackie ChinnMarc BaerMarjorie ReevesMary BeardMayim BialikMeir KahaneMeister EckhartMel GibsonMenachem KallusMerlinMexicoMichael MooreMichael ShaaraMichael ShermerMichah HalpernMichele BachmannMidosMike AdamsMiracle of TheismMiracles.MolchoMor AltshulerMoroccoMoshe TendlerMuch Ado about NothingNahman of BratslavNatan SharanskyNationalismNick BreyfogleNightfallOliver CromwellOlympicsOrosiusOscar WildeOttomanPalauPantheismPasadenaPaul CartledgePaulo CoelhoPenn StatePhDPhilippa GregoryPierce BrownPinchas GillerPrincess BrideProving WomanPseudo-DionysiusPushing DaisiesRangoRaymond LullRebekka VossRichard NixonRichard WagnerRoald DahlRobert K. MassieRobert LernerRuth WisseRyan GoslingSafedSalman RushdieSam QuinonesSamantha BeeSaul LiebermanSemioticsSerbiaSharon KorenShimeon bar YochaiShivhei ha-AriShmuley BoteachSilver Spring MDSlonimer RebbeSocialismSolomon Shlomiel of DresnitzSouth AfricaSouth ParkSpecial NeedsStanley KubrickStardustStarship TroopersStefanie SiegmundStephen BrushStephen KingSteven BowmanSteven PinkerSteven SondheimSusannah HeschelSuzanne CollinsSyriaTeachingTeel McClanahan IIITerry JonesTerry PratchettThat Hideous StrengthTitus AndronicusTony JudtTosafistTouroTurkeyTyler CowenUkraineUnited NationsUnprotectedVeronica of GiulianiVictor David HansonWalesWalter Dean MyersWalter OngWiccanismWilliam Christian Jr.Women Men and Spiritual PowerWoodrow WilsonYehudah LiebesYemenYeshayahu LeibowitzYirmiyahu YovelYissocher FrandYonah BooksteinYosef B. SoloveitchikYosef KaplanYuval Noah HarariZvi Ankorianthropologycoffeediscretio spirituumfriendshipkaratenuclear weaponspovertypredestinationscamssettlerssociologyIzgadIzgad is Aramaic for messenger or runner. We live in world caught between secularism and religious fundamentalism. I am taking up my post, alongside many wiser souls, as a low ranking messenger boy in the fight to establish a third path. Along the way I will be recommending a steady flow of good science fiction and fantasy in order to keep things entertaining.
Welcome Aboard and Enjoy the Ride!http://izgad.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Izgad)Blogger878125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-9065451422847189147Wed, 14 Feb 2018 07:25:00 +00002018-02-14T14:46:02.564-05:00AspergerDeborah LipstadtG. K. ChestertonGodhistoryJames M. BuchananKochliberalismLibertarianismNancy MacLeanProtocolsreligionTyler CowenNo, Nancy MacLean, Autistic People Do Not Become Libertarians Because They Lack Empathy
I must confess that since reading Nancy MacLean's Democracy in Chains, my opinion of her has only lessened. To move away from her incompetence as a historian or an economist, I would like to discuss her views on autism. As always, whenever suggesting that MacLean might not be completely correct, it is important to confess, right from the start: I am a Koch minion so you should ignore everything http://izgad.blogspot.com/2018/02/no-nancy-maclean-autistic-people-do-not.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-8829084378259545456Fri, 09 Feb 2018 04:53:00 +00002018-02-08T23:53:10.516-05:00atheismC. S. LewisChabadChristianityHaredimJ. R. R. TolkienJudaismMormonsPasadenareligionRodney StarkNeeding the Secular World: A Thought Experiment and Some Rodney Stark
In the last post, I discussed the idea that Haredim, while they might possess individual scientists, are incapable of creating their own genuine scientific culture. This brought up an argument from the late Prof. Yeshayahu Leibowitz of the necessity of being able to fill out all jobs required by a society. It is not enough for Haredim to say that other people should be doctors or lawyers and, http://izgad.blogspot.com/2018/02/needing-secular-world-thought.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-7650853768263804282Tue, 16 Jan 2018 05:55:00 +00002018-01-16T11:15:57.765-05:00ChabadHaredimIsraelJudaismreligionscienceStar WarsScience and Torah: Is a Society of Torah Scientists Possible?
This past Shabbat, I attended a Shabbaton hosted by the Chabad of Pasadena. It featured Dr. Mickael Chekroun, an atmospheric scientist at UCLA. He gave an address titled "From Particle Physics to Serving Hashem." (Why someone who is not a particle physicist would speak about particle physics is a mystery to me.) His main point was that it is possible to be a religious Jew and a scientist as you http://izgad.blogspot.com/2018/01/science-andtorah-is-society-of-torah.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-4525853280115172843Thu, 11 Jan 2018 20:33:00 +00002018-01-11T15:33:50.768-05:00ConservatismFireflygovernmentliberalismLibertarianismpoliticsIf Taxes are Not Extortion, You Cannot Pay Them
A major foundation of my personal libertarianism is that I see it as a self-evident truth that government is, by definition, an act of violence and even murder. While this does not discredit all government action, it does mean that it is immoral for the government to do anything that I would not personally be willing to kill someone in order to accomplish, a pretty narrow list. It occurred to mehttp://izgad.blogspot.com/2018/01/if-taxes-are-not-extortion-then-you.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-9069586892300880365Tue, 26 Dec 2017 23:09:00 +00002017-12-26T18:09:32.190-05:00atheismbooksBrandon SandersonFantasyGeorge R. R. MartinGodNietzschepoliticssci-fiNarnia, Game of Thrones, and the Stormlight Chronicles: the Reenchantmant of Fantasy (Part II)
(Part I)
Connected to Game of Thrones' pessimistic anti-heroism is a sense of realism. Beyond a few dragons, there is remarkably little magic. In fact, the series often seems to function more as historical fiction, only being held back by the technicality that the story is not actually taking place within the War of the Roses or the French Wars of Religion but on another planet. Just as the http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/12/narnia-game-of-thrones-and-stormlight.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-3452179120587231382Tue, 21 Nov 2017 09:23:00 +00002017-11-21T04:31:08.231-05:00C. S. LewisGeorge R. R. MartinGodJ. R. R. TolkienMax WeberNietzschereligionNarnia, Game of Thrones, and the Stormlight Chronicles: the Reenchantmant of Fantasy (Part I)
(Happy birthday to Lionel Spiegel.)
I drive my son Kalman to and from pre-school most weekdays. In the car, he usually asks to listen to Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. You can clock an average trip as the amount of time it takes to get from the beginning of the book until Mr. Tumnus confesses that he is in the pay of the White Witch as her kidnapper. Kalman knows that the http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/11/narnia-game-of-thrones-and-stormlight.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-50826913172591423Fri, 17 Nov 2017 19:52:00 +00002017-11-19T11:07:51.622-05:00AntinomianismGermanyIslamIsraellawNaziTerrorismWar Criminals, Lone Wolves, and Terrorists: Definitions and Implications
With the recent rash of shootings has come a renewed debate over the distinction between a terrorist and a lone wolf. (Clearly, both whites and non-whites can be terrorists.) With Islamic terrorism and the Israeli-Arab conflict always in the news, there is the debate as to what is terrorism and what is a war crime. These issues tend to bog down into polemics so there is a benefit to offering http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/11/war-criminals-lone-wolves-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-8308732006611998469Mon, 23 Oct 2017 22:38:00 +00002017-12-12T18:54:10.658-05:00AntinomianismDraculaHumorJudaismMessiahmusicalsvampiresSunshine: A Miami Boys Choir Vampire Musical (Part III) (Part II)
The vampires attack Uman on Rosh Hashanah knowing that they would find many Jews with a demonstrated predilection for the dark side of idolatry and antinomianism. Rebbe Frost quickly converts the class to vampire Judaism. The only survivor is Chananya Yom Tov Lipa Katznellenbogenstein. (I know that he is a Shmuel Kunda creation, but bear with me.) Because of the events of the Magic http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/10/sunshine-miami-boys-choir-vampire.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-7845385919808750124Wed, 27 Sep 2017 08:15:00 +00002017-09-27T15:51:49.930-04:00Ben ShapiroConservatismHomosexualitylawliberalismpoliticsThomas HobbesUtilitarianismThe Utilitarian Logic of Killing Ben Shapiro
In response to Ben Shapiro's coming visit to the University of Utah, Ian Decker defends, in a letter to the Salt Lake Tribune, the attempt to shut Shapiro down. According to Decker:
Utah is already a state with a homelessness and suicide crisis amongst LGBTQ youth. Ben Shapiro has openly called transgender people mentally ill. He portrays the gay rights movement as a conspiracy to “root out http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-logic-of-killing-ben-shapiro.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-7467709553961648992Wed, 20 Sep 2017 18:38:00 +00002018-01-11T15:20:02.433-05:00Ayn RandFireflyJoss WhedonLibertarianismStar WarsTelevisionUtilitarianismAn Apology for Adelai: Why Malcolm Reynolds Should Have Stolen the Medicine
(Recently, I have been taking part in an online discussion group devoted to Firefly and Libertarianism, which served to inspire this piece.)
Part of the charm of Firefly for Libertarians is its rather nuanced take on the Alliance government. As the central villain of the series, it would have been easy for Joss Whedon to have turned the Alliance into something sinister akin to the Empire of http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/09/an-apology-for-adelai-why-malcolm.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-5854235488039906600Sun, 20 Aug 2017 22:37:00 +00002018-01-02T12:06:53.333-05:00Adam SmithbiblebooksCopernicusevolutionGodhistoryHomosexualityreligionRenaissancesciencewhigYuval Noah HarariHomo Deus and Ontological Naturalism
A fundamental concept in understanding the relationship between religion and science is the distinction between methodological naturalism and ontological naturalism. Methodological naturalism means that one operates as if there is no supernatural. Ontological naturalism is the actual belief that there really is nothing outside of nature. Methodological rationalist fields such as science and http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/08/homo-deus-and-ontological-naturalism.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-7553886579779164868Wed, 09 Aug 2017 07:44:00 +00002017-08-10T00:07:41.901-04:00AristotleAyn RandChabadChristianityeconomicsGodHaredimJesus of NazarethJudaismLibertarianismMurray RothbardNew TestamentpoliticsRepublicanThe Mises Institute as a Religion: A Heretical Libertarian's Response
Recently, there has been some controversy over an essay by Jeff Deist of the Mises Institute over his use of the term "blood and soil." This term has Nazi associations though I do not think anyone is actually accusing the Mises Institute of being a Nazi or otherwise white supremacist organization. I would even be open to a charitable reading of Deist as describing the reality on the ground of http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-mises-institute-as-religion.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-4177026804201499377Tue, 01 Aug 2017 23:16:00 +00002017-10-08T13:12:43.222-04:00anti-SemitismChristianityHaredimInquisitionIsrael YuvalJudaismTerrorismTheaterTorah VodaathCamp Chimerical Anti-Christianity: Facing the Consequences
A few years ago, for the fast day of Tisha B'Av, I wrote a hard-hitting post, raising some uncomfortable questions about the Jewish community. As that is one of my personal favorites, I decided to follow it up for this Tisha B'Av. My purpose is not to attack anyone and, for that reason, I have avoided names. I hope that my ambiguous feelings about my camping experience rather than hatred should http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/08/camp-chimerical-anti-christianity.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-4225253302946927222Mon, 31 Jul 2017 01:04:00 +00002017-07-30T21:04:02.418-04:00GreecehistoryJudaismLouis FeldmanModern OrthodoxHistory as Autobiography: The Example of Louis H. Feldman
Previously, when discussing the historical method, I argued that a historian, like any academic scholar, needs to be able to distinguish between scholarship and polemic. Scholars are allowed to have ideological beliefs but they are not allowed to use their scholarship to buttress their ideology. Once a clear connection appears between an individual's scholarship and their ideology to the point http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/07/history-as-autobiography-example-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-8370198592497388790Thu, 27 Jul 2017 06:17:00 +00002018-01-15T18:28:21.128-05:00Barry GoldwaterConservatismDonald TrumppoliticspsychologyreligionBreaking the Goldwater Rule: A Betrayal of Methodological Rationalism
A useful example of an academic field creating a wall between the field itself and the politics of its members is the Goldwater Rule that psychiatrists are not supposed to publically comment on the mental stability of politicians. It is named after Senator Barry Goldwater, who objected to psychiatrists calling him mentally unfit to be president during the 1964 campaign. Goldwater made the very http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/07/breaking-goldwater-rule-betrayal-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-6047638402029453237Fri, 21 Jul 2017 07:49:00 +00002018-02-09T11:55:34.980-05:00Adam SmithAyn RandDonald TrumphistoryIraqJames M. BuchananKochLibertarianismMurray RothbardNancy MacLeanracismPolemic or Scholarship: A Historian's Choice
Before I begin, let me confess to having attended several conferences hosted by the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS), a group funded by the Koch brothers. I had a great time listening to lectures, I met scholars such as Michael Munger, Steve Horwitz, and Phil Magness, drank beer and had late night philosophical discussions with other graduate students from around the world. I strongly deny http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/07/polemic-or-scholarship-historians-choice.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-4554616506917362089Mon, 17 Jul 2017 05:06:00 +00002017-07-18T16:00:45.718-04:00bibleGodgovernmentKalman YitzchokLibertarianismHow to Teach the Story of Balak and Bilam to Kalman
In addition to anything involving kitty, my three-year old son, Kalman, has become fascinated with the story of Balak and Bilam and regularly asks either my wife or me to tell it. This story presents a number of challenges to someone of my particular political theology. That being said, challenges also offer opportunities to make it clear to Kalman that his Abba is a libertarian http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/07/how-to-teach-story-of-balak-and-bilam.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-346270484594028498Fri, 07 Jul 2017 20:15:00 +00002017-07-24T01:04:15.537-04:00AntinomianismgedolimJudaismmusicalsvampiresSunshine: A Miami Boys Choir Vampire Musical (Part II)
(Part I)
The counter to the Jews' naive hopes for the future is revealed in the song "Klal Yisroel Together," which takes the perspective of a new Jewish vampire.
Quiet shul a foreign land
sits and davans an older man
What kind of shul is quiet with no talking? This must be a shul in which vampires gather to listen to their gadol hador. The vampires take the words of their sages very http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/07/sunshine-miami-boys-choir-vampire_7.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-5526727772393485985Tue, 04 Jul 2017 18:30:00 +00002017-07-05T13:49:43.647-04:00AntinomianismHumorJudaismmusicalsNazivampiresSunshine: A Miami Boys Choir Vampire Musical (Part I)
For the past forty years, Yerachmiel Begun has led the Miami Boys Choir, one of the most successful musical groups in the Orthodox world. It will come as a shock that all of this has been cover for Begun's lifelong dream to write a vampire musical. Many of his beloved songs have really been describing scenes for this musical. The key for reading these songs has been to recognize that referenceshttp://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/07/sunshine-miami-boys-choir-vampire.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-5078824732003578654Tue, 27 Jun 2017 06:07:00 +00002017-06-27T14:13:13.220-04:00ChabadevolutionIs Someone in Chabad Trying to Smuggle in Evolution?The following comic comes from the Chabad children's magazine, the Moshiach Times.
What can the line that turtles "lost their teeth a long time ago" mean besides for evolution? Obviously, the individual turtle today did not lose his teeth due to cavities. That would eliminate the entire joke of the strip. Long ago must mean that there used to be turtles with teeth and, for some reason, http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/06/is-someone-in-chabad-trying-to-smuggle.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-2797036810115479409Sat, 03 Jun 2017 01:20:00 +00002017-06-02T21:20:39.200-04:00AntinomianismMackie ChinnMaimonidesVowing to GodI wrote a post over at the Modern Torah Leadership blog on the travails of my son, Mackie, from a Maimonidean perspective. I even managed to work in antinomianism.
I thank my mother-in-law, my sisters-in-law and modern medicine that my son is still alive. Hopefully, soon I will be able to report that he is out of all danger.http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/06/vowing-to-god.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-722444288603989630Thu, 20 Apr 2017 16:07:00 +00002017-04-20T12:07:40.358-04:00bibleGodKalman YitzchokPassoverKidnapping Kalman: A Lesson in the Exodus
This past Monday, Miriam and I hosted a kiddush in honor of Kalman's third birthday. This came with speaking privileges, which I decided to take advantage of.
Do you see this Kalman here? I am sure many of you would like to kidnap him. How would you go about doing it? On the surface, it would seem to be a simple task. Pick the boy up and walk out. Now here is where things get http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/04/kidnapping-kalman-lesson-in-exodus.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-8628588673946680166Mon, 20 Mar 2017 06:59:00 +00002017-12-26T17:09:48.985-05:00AntinomianismChristianityColumbus OHEnlightenmentHaredimJohn LockeJudaismKosherlawLibertarianismreligionSabbatai SeviToward a Lockean Theory of Halakha
In the previous post, I argued that Haredi Judaism, to the extent that it accepted charismatic authority in the form of Gedolim, must be seen as an anti-Halakhic movement. Charismatic authority is implicitly antinomian in that the only way for someone to demonstrate their absolute loyalty to the charismatic authority figure, as opposed to some textual authority, is to violate the law as http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/03/toward-lockean-theory-of-halakha.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-911285257626025212Fri, 17 Mar 2017 05:32:00 +00002017-12-26T17:08:38.694-05:00AntinomianismgedolimHaredimJudaismlawTalmudThe Antinomian Implications of Gedolim: Are You Willing to Put Your Traif Where Your Mouth Is?
A prominent feature of Haredi society today is the belief in the infallibility of their rabbinic leaders, the Gedolim. These Gedolim are supposed to be miracle workers, whose knowledge supersedes that of ordinary mortals like you and me. In essence, Haredim took halakhic Judaism, premised on textual authority, and replaced it with charismatic authority in which religious leaders are assumed to http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-antinomian-implications-of-gedolim.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543853523791774463.post-5067407383088455061Fri, 27 Jan 2017 06:13:00 +00002017-06-28T17:45:01.116-04:00ChristianityConservatismDonald TrumpliberalismLibertarianismMormonsreligionSamantha BeeMormons Have Nothing to Fear From the Federal Government
(Start at about 3:50.)
Like Samantha Bee, I oppose Donald Trump. I believe it is particularly important for conservatives and libertarians to be out in front in denouncing Trump, because not only do Trump's policy go against conservative and libertarian values, there is a very real danger that our opponents will accuse us of supporting the very kinds of policies that we have long denounced. http://izgad.blogspot.com/2017/01/mormons-have-nothing-to-fear-from.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Izgad)0